John Dan Kemp

John Dan Kemp Jr. (born September 8, 1951) is an American lawyer who has served as the chief justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court since 2017.

Biography
Born in Batesville, Arkansas, Kemp attended Mountain View High School and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas in 1973, followed by a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1976. While attending the University of Arkansas, he was a member of the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity. Kemp was a city judge and city attorney in Mountain View before being elected as a circuit judge in Stone County, Arkansas in 1986, which position he held for 29 years.

Chief Justice of Arkansas
In 2015, Kemp decided to challenge sitting Justice Courtney Rae Hudson for the Chief Justice position. Kemp defeated Hudson to win the seat.